Renewing your Visa

If your visa has run out you may have to pay a fine when renewing it at the Police Station in Espargos on Sal, main Police Stations onother islands or the Border Police in Praia, Santiago.... the current fine is 125euros (it may be more if not renewed for several months)...(....)

Visa's are currently available for 3, 6 or 12months. However, the first time you apply to extend your visa will probably be for 3months. The next time you apply, you may be lucky to get a 6month visa, but not always, they may re-issue you with another 3 month visa. If you leave CV during the visa period, you will have to start again on re-entry.

I was able to obtain a 12month multi entry visa here on Sal via the Police Station in Espagos, with this I have to leave Cape Verde every 3 months. While in Praia, I obtained a 12month Residencia Visa which allows me to come and go freely in and out of CV when I want, without restrictions. Both types of visa cost around 50 euros.

Please also refer to the Imigration Guide produced by the Camara Municipal on Sal Island (see page 10):

Multi Entry Visa
You will need to take the following items along with you to the Police Station :

- Your passport (should be a 10yr passport)
- Proof of a 6month contract of rental of an apt/property or ownership document signed at the Notary.....take the original but also a copy, see if they will accept the copy first as they will want to keep the document..... its best just to leave the copy with them, in case the original goes missing!
- Two recent passport sized photo's, they may only need one, but its best to be on the safe side again!
- If you are working on the island, then take a of your work licence (Model-110) which will show your NIF no.
- A recent Bank Statement from one of your CV bank accounts which should show that you have sufficient funds in your account to sustain your stay on the island. Explain to the Bank Assistant that it's for your Visa application....they must stamp the Statement or the Police won't accept it. The Bank won't give you a statement unless you have your passport with you, or at least a copy of your passport.
- A Medical Certificate....obtained at the hospital in Espargos for a small fee.
- A Criminal Records Statement......obtained in the UK.
- A Vaccination Record...showing all the vaccinations are current.

It is helpful if you can speak some Portuguese or take someone who can translate.

(Alternatively, you can pre-arrange your visa with Cape Verde Beaureu).

Always keep copies of your vaccination, medical, passport and Crimianl Records...... you will need them the next time you want to renew your visa, it is practically guaranteed that they won't have your original record!....try and keep the originals, give them a copy!

At the Police Station, the Police may give you a medical slip which you will need to take to the hospital in Espargos, where you pay a fee (around 15euros) and get a medical and the certificate...........you may be able to get this done before you go to the Police Station, if you know what to ask for at the hospital as it would save time! The certificate needs to be produced to the Police.

If the Police check that all your paperwork is correct, they will give you a form to fill out, you have to pay the Police a small fee for this. They will also tell you to take the completed form to the BCA bank to pay for your visa, the bank will give you a stamped paid slip which you will need to produce to the Police at the station.

There are two different queues at most banks, take a que ticket from the machine (if there is a machine) which is for ' Attendimento', not the other cash desks... note: queues are usually long especially in the winter, when it is busier. On being served, produce your passport (or copy...make sure the Passport Number is clearly identifiable on the copy). They stamp the Visa form, you pay the relevant fee for the Visa and you take the form with proof of payment of the Visa back to the Police Station.....
- Hand the forms over at the Police Station, they will check them and tell you to return in 3-4 days to collect your passport and visa.It should cost you 25euros to renew your 3 or 6month visa (unless you have a fine to pay also).

You could apply for a 12month multi entry visa (Multiplas Entrada), but with this, you must leave Cape Verde to visit another country every 3months (costs 4,800cve).

Before travelling to Espargos and the Police Station, give yourself enough time in case you haven't got all the paperwork, as the Police Station Visa Office in Espargos closes between 12noon to 2.30p.m (ish). The que or delays at bank or mad dash back to Santa Maria to get something you have forgotton, can be frustating.

Note: The visa office at the Police station is closed on Public Festival Days.

PLEASE check your visa dates are correct before you leave the Police Station, they sometimes have the wrong date/yr etc, or you may think you have been given 6months and they have only given you 3months visa. Also ask for your copy documents back before you leave with your passport, you may get most of them back.

Residencia Visa - July 08 (Praia):
This type of visa allows you to come and go in and out of Cape Verde as many times and when you want, there are no restrictions. It is renewable every 12months. The cost is 50.000cve (46euros) and 100cve (1 euro) for the application form. You need a letter from your employer, two passport size photos, and photocopies of the back and front pages of your passport as well as completing a visa application form. You can also apply for this visa if you are retired.

You can either fill in the application form by hand in the office at Praia and leave your passport, the company letter, passport photos and passport copies with them, or send it to them by post. I am not sure how the latter works if you post it, and how you pay the 50.000cve as I went to Praia and paid someone to help me get my application form processed and translate for me.

This type of visa is only available in Praia via the Border Police, on the capital island of Santiago in Cape Verde. I am not sure whether you can obtain it from outside of Cape Verde at one of the other Cape Verdean Embassy's. For this type of visa, all you need to produce is an official letter headed document from your employer in Cape Verde, showing their contact details.

The letter/document must be written in Portuguese. It should start with the name of the company, who confirm that you are employed by them and it should request a 'visto do residencia' for you (your name) and on which island you work. It must provide details taken from your passport (Nationality & Passport no.), the job role/position you hold within the company.....If need be, explain the reason for changing for a Multi Entrada visa to visto do residencia or anything else you think they may query.

The letter must be signed by the Director of the company and have been stamped with the company stamp over the Directors signature.

You can either go to the Frontier (Border) Police Office in Praia in person and fill out the application form, but take someone with you that speaks Portuguese/Creole as they may ask you some questions. Make sure you write ' Residencia' or 'visto do residencia' on the application form next to where you have asked for 365 day visa (even if you have told them that's what you want) or you may end up with something else, like a Multi Entrada Visa.

If doing this in person they will give you a form to make the payment of 50.000cve into the bank usually te BCA. You should make the payment a.s.a.p. You should be able to collect your passport which should have the official stamped and processed 'Residencia Visa' within 5 days, but just confirm this with them at the Frontier office, but there still may may be delays.

If I had arrived on Praia mid week, instead of Fri lunchtime as offices and the bank closed for the weekend, it would have been possible for me to get my visa issued within 24hrs, with the right contacts and a little extra cost for their help. Other people have received their visa within 3 days.

I am told that it could take 15days to have it processed by post, but I don't know anyone that has tried this.

NOTE: A residential visa is not the same thing as obtaining 'Residency'.

Also refer to 'Extending your Visa' under the 'Travel' section of this website or follow the link below.